This is a little corner of cyberspace where people who wish to do so, can leave a message of support to the PJ and express their views on the Madeleine case.
Warning: this is not an unbiased blog. I am a Portuguese citizen proud of her nationality, of her country, of her people and, obviously, of her Polícia Judiciária and of all the men and women who work hard to make my country a better place.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Updated: Two surprises. Well, not really...

Anyone wishing to contact me can do it at:

claudiaproudofthepj@hotmail.com

“We have beaten her up because nobody likes child murderers”

by Duarte Levy

“The bruises on Leonor Cipriano’s face have not been inflicted by the (PJ) inspectors… she has been well watered in prison after she arrived, in prison nobody likes child murderers”, a former fellow inmate of Joana’s mother says, stressing that after that assault “Leonor was treated with special favour by the director”.The fellow inmate goes further and sustains that even after the aggression that she was the target of at the Prison of Odemira, there were never as many bruises on Leonor’s face or body, thus contradicting the veracity of the photos that were presented before the Court of Faro.

The revelations that were made to SMM, according this former inmate, are not new, but were not taken into account by the Polícia Judiciária: “when I realized what they were planning (Leonor and the director) I sent a letter to Faro, but I didn’t sign it, because I still had some time to do and I wanted no problems.”

After the alleged assault that she was victim of, Leonor has always stated that the former coordinator Gonçalo Amaral never touched her, but now, after the arrival of lawyer Marcos Aragão, she states the contrary, changing her version several times as the process evolves.

A prison guard says that Leonor mentioned dizziness and a fall at the PJ in Faro

by Marisa Rodrigues

The director of Odemira prison “suggested” to a former chief of the prison guards that he should change the report that he wrote when Leonor Cipriano returned from the Polícia Judiciária in Faro with “red marks” on her face.

The revelation came as a surprise for everyone who yesterday watched the second session of the trial of five PJ elements who investigated the disappearance of Joana. The lawyer for four of the arguidos announced that he is filing a criminal complaint against Ana Maria Calado. “These are serious suspicions that have to be investigated”, António Pragal Colaço said when he was leaving the Court in Faro.

António Maia, who was heard as a witness, said that it was him who was on duty when Leonor returned to the prison on the 15th of October after the interrogation at the PJ that prompted the complaint which is now on trial. In the document, the prison guard wrote what Joana’s mother reported to him – that she fell off the stairs at the Judiciária in Faro due to “dizziness that she experienced because she had spent several hours without eating”. At that time, the prison’s director, Ana Maria Calado, was on vacation.

The revelation appeared when, after some vague replies like “I don’t remember” and “I can’t tell exactly”, the witness was being questioned by António Cabrita, Gonçalo Amaral’s lawyer. “After two weeks, when Leonor’s marks were much more visible, the director suggested that I should change the report in the part that referred to the dizziness”, he explained. A suggestion which the man, who now works at the prison in Silves, did not accept.

“Do you find this correct? Do you think that she fell down the stairs? Don’t you think that she was tortured?”, Ana Maria Calado asked him. “If you wanted to change the report, would she have given permission?”, the presiding judge asked. António Maia replied “yes”.

The prison guard further stated that he had been alerted to the “suicidal tendencies” of Joana’s mother, who was “under closer surveillance and protected by the director, who gave her cigarettes and spent hours with her in her office”. On one occasion, he referred, Leonor took out her shoelaces, which were immediately confiscated by a guard who feared that she might use them to hang herself.

The afternoon was further marked by a sudden remembrance. After stating that she could not remember who assaulted her during the first session [of the trial], Leonor delivered a piece of paper with the names of the five arguidos to the presiding judge yesterday. “The other day I was nervous, but a news piece came on tv with my husband (Leandro) saying that he saw Gonçalo Amaral beating and I remembered. The names of the others I took from documents that I have in prison”,she said, making the public that was completely filling the room burst into laughter.

Three policemen stand accused of torture: Pereira Cristóvão, Leonel Marques and Paulo Marques Bom. But Leonor’s lawyer, Marcos Aragão Correia, has pointed his guns at Gonçalo Amaral, who in this process stands accused of false testimony and omission of denunciation.

“This doesn’t look like a trial in the Joana case but rather one in the Maddie case”, says a source that is connected to the defense of the former coordinator of the PJ in Portimão, who headed the investigations into the disappearance of both children and became a sort of “public enemy #1” for the McCann couple.

“A possible condemnation of Gonçalo Amaral in this process may make it easier for the English to prosecute the Portuguese state”, the source says.

They have paid the expenses

When confronted by 24Horas with the suspicions about his connection to the Maddie case, Marcos Aragão confirmed that he was already paid by persons that are connected to the McCanns. “They haven’t paid me honoraries but rather expenses due to transportation, lodging and food, in order to interview João Cipriano in prison”, the lawyer explained, adding that the purpose of the conversation was to “analyze” the procedures of Amaral as a PJ investigator.

Following the investigation – which originated a report from the Association Against Exclusion through Development (ACED) – Aragão Correia says that he accepted to represent Leonor Cipriano without charging one cent.

“I accepted this case for humanitarian reasons only. I am not receiving any honoraries”, the lawyer asserted, referring that the “attacks” against Gonçalo Amaral are linked to Leonor Cipriano’s strategy in this case: “It’s not an obsession. I can’t insist on the other arguidos because she has not identified them”.

Yesterday’s session at the Court in Faro was marked by a new contradiction from the plaintiff.On Monday, Leonor Cipriano had guaranteed that Gonçalo Amaral did not watch the questioning during which she allegedly suffered abuse in order to make her confess to her daughter’s death. Yesterday, Joana’s mother corrected her version: “Gonçalo Amaral beat me”. When questioned by the judge, she said she had recovered her memory after watching a report on television.

16 comments:

Hi Claudia, no suprises really, it was all expected and much more will come out, the trial continues next week. Marcos Aragão Correia 'promises' to expose the dirty secrets in Amaral's life that were allegedly discovered by the British police in their little private investigation into the life of the former PJ coordinator. Stay tuned...

Hi, Astro!First of all, there are not enough words to thank you and Joana for what you are doing. Your work is just absolulety fantastic. Nothing surprises me anymore.If you can, contact me at claudiaproudofthepj@hotmail.com

There are some things I would like to discuss with you.Thank you for everything you are doing.

For me, there's only one question: how does investigating Dr Amaral bring them any closer to finding Madeleine? I rest my case.

Let this be a lesson to the all too generous members of the public who pour out their hearts and their wallets in support of 'Search' funds to consider first that it is the job of the POLICE to investigate the cases of missing persons and search for missing persons. If all fails, of course, then consider supporting any privately run funds. This is how emotion clouds our vision. Now, everyday there's more and more for us all to see.

I hope the Portuguese Judicial Police - and Leicestershire Police - will continue to do all in their power to locate Madeleine. God speed.

Carol, you are aboslutely right. If this wasn't tragic because it is about a dead child, this trial would be laughable. Sometimes I'm sorry we don't have justice Texas style, although I normally oppose the death penalty.

Hello, anon.It doesn't. Obviously. But that wasn't certainly the goal of that 'investigation', was it? I would love to know what the McCanns think about Mr Aragão's statements. Are they aware of them? Do they confirm his words? If not, we are all waiting for a statement denying this gentleman's (????) words. But I have to be honest. I'm happy he is a chatty fellow. The more he speaks, the bigger the hole.

What ever next, I really do find it strange that the McCann's found it necessary to finance the investigation against Dr.Amaral will it help find Madeline? I don't think so. To me it is just more mud slinging. It reeks of desperation to me.

As far as someone watching television and having total recall, totally ludicrous I say.

I wish I was more articulate so I could say what I think politely. But words fail me.

Hi, Helmylin2!Just replied to your e-mail. Thank you!!!Don't worry, you are super articulate and polite, believe me. Maybe Mr Aragão's words have not reached the McCanns yet. I would love to hear something from them, either to confirm or to deny any connection. It is a very serious claim to have been paid by people with connections to them to investigate the PJ officer who was responsible for the investigation on Madeleine's disappearance. If it was with me and it was a false claim, I would be publicly stating that and suing the man.Thank you for your contribution!

I loved the photos, Helmylin2. Thank you.Well, I have a feeling that if it was something involving money, they would have reacted by now. But I agree. If Mr Aragão wasn't telling the truth, they could sue. Or at least threat. After all, it's been kind of a hobby. :-)

Hi Claudia By all i'm reading it seems the mccanns contracted the wrong person.... A.C. dont look a clever person , mainly for a lawyer... he is too much talkative in a matter that can dammage the goals of the wonder couple.Good bless him by that Hope your neighbour can be as confortable as possible bjs

Hi, Mandarinn.I'm very tempted to agree with you. The more he talks, the bigger the hole he digs. Probably not much smarter than the convicted child killer who sounds more ridiculous and pathetic everytime she speaks. It makes it crystal clear why her former lawyer didn't let her open her mouth on her trial, where she was convicted of killing her own daughter. However, this time she is forced to speak. And it's not good for her. have you read that yesterday, when she said she finally remembered, the audience burst out laughing? Even the judge seems to be losing his patiete with her. And it's only been two sessions...

Hi, Di! :-)To be honest, I wouldn't like to be there. I would end up getting arrested because I would most likely lose my temper. :-)The judge is very patient although I heard he has already shown some signs of impatience towards the convicted child murderer.This is a political case, Di. with a lot more implications than Leonor Cipriano. She is only the visible face of all this. Soon more details will be in the public arena.

As you say Leonor Cipriano is only the face of this trial. She is only being used as part of the "wider adgenda" whatever that may mean. It is all politics and shady deals. Somehow the McCann's are caught up in it. I quite frankly don't understand it.